The post Bob Dylan basically played a greatest hits show at Outlaw Festival (Review)<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>.<\/p>\n While on the 2025 Outlaw Music Festival circuit<\/a>, Bob Dylan changed up his usual setlist<\/a>, playing what is a greatest hits show by his standards.<\/p>\n After seeing the 2025 Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour<\/a> North America conclusion, which has its own charm, it was surprising to see Dylan break out some of his biggest hits when the Outlaw Music Festival stopped in Columbia, Maryland, on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.<\/p>\n Now, context is needed when discussing what a Bob Dylan greatest hits show looks like. Unfortunately for the fan who yelled \u201cplay something good!\u201dand begged for \u201cLike a Rolling Stone\u201d in Williamsport earlier in the year, he does not play Highway 61 Revisited\u2019s opening song. If it\u2019s any consolation, he does play \u201cHighway 61 Revisited.\u201d<\/p>\n Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY.<\/p>\n Sandwiched between Sheryl Crowe and Willie Nelson, two greats in their own right, Dylan and his band made their way to the stage hidden behind minimal stage lighting. It was hard to tell when they came out, as the stage was not lit up at all until they began playing. Even then, the stage was only illuminated by a few red stage lights, barely making the band members distinguishable.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Dylan kicked into his set with a rendition of \u201cMasters of War.\u201d The chilling guitar part is replaced with a bluesy arrangement.<\/p>\n Considering he has opened other shows during the 2025 Outlaw Festival circuit with the likes of \u201cPositively 4th Street\u201d and \u201cGotta Serve Somebody,\u201d \u201cMasters of War\u201d may seem like an uninspired choice. At least it\u2019s from one of his earliest albums.<\/p>\n Being a Bob Dylan fan means you\u2019re a glutton for punishment. He has broken out old hits like \u201cMr. Tambourine Man,\u201d \u201cThe Times They Are A-Changin\u2019,\u201d<\/a> \u201cJust Like Tom Thumb\u2019s Blues,\u201d \u201cRainy Day Women #12 & 35,\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Think Twice, It\u2019s All Right,\u201d and only one has made the setlist consistently. What is given can be taken, as they say, and Dylan proves that.<\/p>\n Still, he makes the most of his hour-long slot. His cover of Bo Diddley\u2019s \u201cI Can Tell\u201d brings new meaning to the song as the 84-year-old Dylan sings it, and he also covered \u201cAxe and the Wind\u201d and \u201cI\u2019ll Make It All Up to You.\u201d<\/p>\n The first highlight, though, is \u201cTo Ramona,\u201d originally from his Another Side of Bob Dylan album. Its waltz \u2014 which makes it feel like riding on a merry-go-round \u2014 is still retained in the new arrangement, and the harp was a nice addition to the song.<\/p>\n At this point in the song, it became clear that Dylan sounded better than in April. Perhaps that\u2019s due to Merriweather Post Pavilion being an outdoor venue rather than an old theater.<\/p>\n Unlike last time, you could understand most of what Dylan was saying. This helps songs like \u201cUnder the Red Sky\u201d and \u201cDesolation Row.\u201d<\/p>\n Dylan played that at his 2025 Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour finale in April. However, given its sped-up arrangement, it was nice to be able to clearly make out what he was singing.<\/p>\n Another standout is the new arrangement of \u201cAll Along the Watchtower.\u201d While it isn\u2019t as fast as the original, bits of the original guitar riff can be heard. It retains the identity of Dylan\u2019s original song while maturing it for an older, wiser Dylan.<\/p>\n Some lesser-known songs like \u201cLove Sick\u201d from Time Out of Mind and \u201cBlind Willie McTell\u201d were then played. They were nice additions to round out his setlist.<\/p>\n The show concludes with back-to-back hits. \u201cHighway 61 Revisited,\u201d even without its signature whistle, maintains its power with its religious imagery.<\/p>\n But nothing beats hearing \u201cDon\u2019t Think Twice, It\u2019s All Right\u201d from his Freewheelin\u2019 Bob Dylan album. His fast guitar picking is replaced by a slower, piano-driven arrangement.<\/p>\n This allows Dylan to slowly make his way through the verses. Through the years, the song has undergone several transformations. In the \u201970s, he played a reggae rendition, which was unique. The piano ballad drives the song\u2019s melancholic lyrics home as an aged Dylan looks back at his life. The song is seemingly about a relationship \u2014 \u201cI ain\u2019t a-saying you treated me unkind \/ You could\u2019ve done better but I don\u2019t mind \/ You just kinda wasted my precious time \/ But don\u2019t think twice, it\u2019s all right,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY.<\/p>\n If you were disappointed by the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, seeing Dylan during the Outlaw Festival is a good remedy. Casual fans should recognize 20% of the setlist, and die-hard fans will love every pick.<\/p>\n Rough and Rowdy Ways has its own place in the Dylan canon. It\u2019s a very good album, but the arrangements blend together, and it\u2019s not a fun listen live.<\/p>\n The Outlaw Festival is Dylan at his best. He actually appears to be having fun with the songs. The setlist is able to be opened up to his whole discography.<\/p>\n His voice is also better than it has been in years, giving fans yet another reason to see him now. He is singing with clarity and conviction. His catalog has continued aging with him, making the performances resonate more than ever.<\/p>\n If there was one disappointment, it would be that he dropped \u201cPositively 4th Street\u201d from the setlist. He sounded amazing singing it earlier in the 2025 Outlaw Festival circuit.<\/p>\n No one can understand the mind of Bob Dylan, though. He is an enigma that is fascinating to observe. His performances feel like you\u2019re watching a very tight rehearsal (he didn\u2019t acknowledge the Maryland crowd once), and yet, you can\u2019t look away.<\/p>\n Below is Dylan\u2019s full setlist from the Outlaw Festival show in Columbia, Maryland, on September 14, 2025.<\/p>\n Related: Jackson State alumnus Tramell Tillman makes history at the Emmys<\/a><\/p>\nBob Dylan\u2019s Outlaw Festival show review<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
An underrated gem<\/b><\/h2>\n
Playing the hits<\/b><\/h2>\n
Should you see Dylan on the Outlaw Music Festival?<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Bob Dylan\u2019s setlist from the Outlaw Festival show in Columbia, Maryland<\/b><\/h2>\n